The Meaning of niru [似る] In Japanese

似る
にる
Romaji: niru N4

What does 似る mean?

Translation and Meaning

resemble, look like

Definition

What does 似る mean? It means to resemble, to look like, or be similar to something. The core concept is signaling likeness in appearance or character, typically with に to mark the target and いる to express the ongoing state.

Type

verb (五段動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Resemblance in appearance or form between two or more people or things
  • Similarity in character, traits, or situations
  • Used with the pattern に似る to indicate the object that resembles the subject

Etymology

似 (ni) is a native kanji meaning likeness; the verb 似る (ni-ru) uses the kun reading ni-ru, illustrating a typical native reading pattern for kanji that signal resemblance; there is no foreign phonetic borrowing in this verb.

Composition

  • 似 expresses the idea of likeness; る marks the verb form indicating current state or presence of resemblance

Usage

Common in both casual and formal speech. Use with に to specify what is being resembled, and with ている for ongoing resemblance. Examples in Japanese: 私は父に似る, 彼女は猫に似ている, この人は有名人に似ている.

💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine two near-identical silhouettes of a person facing each other; the left side of the kanji hints at appearance, reminding you that 似る means to resemble when you compare two figures

Variations

  • そっくりだ — sokkuri da
  • よく似ている — yoku nite iru

Example Phrases

  • 私は友達の話し方を真似るのが好きだ。
    Watashi wa tomodachi no hanashikata o maneru no ga suki da.
    I like to imitate my friend’s way of speaking.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – direct translation in en
    • 友達の (tomodachi no) – direct translation in en
    • 話し方を (hanashikata o) – direct translation in en
    • 真似る (maneru) – direct translation in en
    • のが (no ga) – direct translation in en
    • 好きだ (suki da) – direct translation in en
    O verbo 「真似る」 significa ‘imitar’; aqui ele funciona com o objeto marcado pelo を: 友達の話し方を真似る = imitar o jeito de falar do amigo. A expressão のが好きだ indica que se gosta de fazer isso.
似る